Microbeads ‘ detriment to the environment is well-documented , yet many companies continue to put the tiny plastic spheres in their products. Scientists at the University of Bath came up with a solution. They created microbeads from cellulose instead, and their alternative is both biodegradable and renewable. One shower can pollute the ocean with 100,000 plastic particles, according to an estimate cited by the University of Bath. These plastic microbeads less than five millimeters in size are way too small to be filtered out by sewage filtration systems, and from sunscreens, toothpastes, or cosmetics end up in the ocean. Fish, birds, and other marine creatures then consume them. Researchers think from there, the microbeads may be entering our food supply . Related: Greenpeace identifies brands that are still polluting oceans with microbeads So a research team at the university developed a way to continuously make biodegradable microbeads. They dissolve cellulose and reform it into beads, by making droplets that are set. They say their process is scalable, and they can draw cellulose from waste products such as those from the paper-making industry. These waste products offer a renewable source of cellulose. Their biodegradable microbeads will stay stable in a body wash, but at sewage treatment facilities can be broken down by organisms. Or the beads will break down in a short period of time if they do make it into the wider environment. Scientist Janet Scott said they’ll biodegrade into harmless sugars. She said in a statement, “Microbeads used in the cosmetics industry are often made of polyethylene or polypropylene, which are cheap and easy to make. However these polymers are derived from oil and they take hundreds of years to break down in the environment…We hope in the future these [microbeads] could be used as a direct replacement for plastic microbeads.” The journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering published a study on the research online the end of May. A team led by Scott just received more than £1 million, around $1.2 million, in funding to develop porous beads, microsponges, and capsules from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council . Via the University of Bath Images via University of Bath

Comments Off on Watts Bar Unit 2 is the first new American nuclear reactor to go online in 20 years

A new nuclear reactor went online in Tennessee recently, making history as the first commercial reactor in America to go online in the 21st century. Watts Bar Unit 2 is part of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant , and cost $4.7 billion. The unit can power 650,000 homes. There hasn’t been a new nuclear reactor brought online in two decades. TVA says Watts Bar Unit 2 was finished “the right way – with safety and quality” taken into deep consideration every step along the way. The company says the unit underwent ” an extensive series of power ascension tests ” as it began to operate. This week they announced the new reactor is officially operational after it functioned properly and generated power for three weeks. TVA CEO Bill Johnson said the energy generated by Watts Bar Unit 2 will be reliable, low-cost, and will protect the area’s natural resources. Related: First new US nuclear power plant in 20 years scheduled to open in Tennessee The company emphasizes the power generated by Watts Bar 2 is clean energy

Comments Off on California’s BrightSource Energy inks deal for massive new solar farm in China

As part of the country’s ongoing bid to invest in renewable energy, China’s state-run utility this week inked a deal with Oakland-based BrightSource Energy to build a massive new solar mirror farm. The technology, which uses thousands of mirrors to concentrate sunlight and heat water to power a steam turbine, is the same design used in BrightSource’s Ivanpah power plant outside of Las Vegas. The main advantage of thermal solar plants over traditional solar panel arrays is that they’re able to generate far more power that photovoltaic panels. These power plants can be massive, producing hundreds of megawatts of energy – an advantage that makes them competitive with coal-burning plants in a way that many renewable plants aren’t yet. The Ivanpah plant produces a whopping 392 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 140,000 California homes. Another mirror farm under construction in Morroco, slated to the be world’s largest when complete, will generate 580 megawatts and serve 1.1 million people. Related: Ivanpah: The World’s Largest Solar Thermal Plant Just Switched Online for the First Time This deal certainly won’t be the last of its kind for the Chinese government. Right now, BrightSource Energy is committed to a 135-megawatt pilot project in China’s northwest Qinghai province. It’s also going to include energy storage in the form of molten salt tanks, which are able to retain heat and produce power even after the sun has gone down. Another American company, SolarReserve, is also in the process of building a mirror farm in China. Related: Morocco switches on phase one of the world’s largest solar plant If it seems strange that these American companies are focusing on exporting their expertise abroad, it’s because the US has been slow to adopt the technology. Apart from a few high-profile projects like Ivanpah, thermal solar farms haven’t really taken off. That’s due in large part to a drop in costs for traditional solar panels and natural gas. Hopefully, as thermal solar plants gain acceptance in China and the rest of the world, they’ll see a resurgence in the US as well. Via Fortune Images via BrightSource Energy

Comments Off on Norway’s most stunning hydropower plant is now a tourist destination

Most of Norway’s electricity comes from hydropower, geothermal power and wind, and now the government is aiming to use those very industries to draw in additional tourist traffic. The Øvre Forsland hydroelectric power plant in the forested mountains of Helgeland, a Norwegian province just south of the Arctic Circle, is one of those such destinations. The 30-gigwatt-hour plant, designed by Stein Hamre , complements the surrounding natural environment, rather than standing out as an eyesore. Related: Norway moves up zero emissions target to 2030 “The plant has been designed to reflect the characteristics of the landscape, which is located on the river bed in a clearing at the edge of a spruce forest,” said the architects in a statement. “The main inspiration for the design was the verticality and the irregularity of the spruce trees.” The government hopes that hikers will come to the gorgeous plant and want to learn about hydroelectricity. Who wouldn’t want to visit this idyllic mountain scene? + Stein Hamre Architecture Via The Guardian Images via Bjørn Leirvik

Comments Off on Villagers in carbon-hungry Thailand tap the sun and dung for clean energy

Thailand is a leader in Southeast Asian energy consumption, second only to Indonesia, with a particular appetite for fossil fuels. But one village nestled in the rural forest , far from the electricity grid, turned to clean energy to keep their community running. Along with using solar panels, the residents have perfected an unconventional way of powering their stoves: cow dung . Pa Deng is an off-the-grid village that saw its first spark of electricity when solar panels were installed ten years ago. They sought help from academics and traded their produce for education on how to maintain and repair the panels, and now one fifth of the village is hooked into the network. Related: Kenyan teenager converts his school’s poop into safe, clean energy Taking things one step further, according to Phys.org , one villager acted on a hunch from a friend that cow dung could be a better energy alternative to burning wood. Bio-gas balloons, fed with the dung and organic waste, create enough methane gas for the resident’s stoves. 100 residents now benefit from the balloons, which means they no longer have to search for kindling in the neighboring forest. Pa Deng serves as an example of what is possible in a land where fossil fuels rule. Not every resident is on board with the clean energy initiatives, however, as some wish to be part of the government-funded grid, while others take what they have learned to other neighboring villages, leaving a cleaner footprint along the way. Via Phys.org Images via Pexels , Wikimedia

Comments Off on Innovative new osmosis technology powers up to 50,000 LED lightbulbs

As solar, wind, and hydropower continue to grow, new research into sustainable technology might make these game changers old news. The EPFL’s Laboratory for Nanoscale Biology has found a way to use osmosis , or the naturally occurring phenomenon when saltwater comes into contact with freshwater through a membrane, into a renewable source of energy, and it is surprisingly powerful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3FnfJ2biY4 Researchers published their findings in Nature , detailing the construction of a power generation system that features a membrane only three atoms thick. This semipermeable membrane allows salt ions through to the other side, eventually creating an equilibrium in salt concentration – the very process of osmosis . What the scientists have done is found a way to harness the electrical charge from the salt ions, leading to impressive results. Related: This mind-blowing pen conducts electricity on paper The properties of the membrane only allow positively-charged ions through, leaving the negatively-charged ions where they are and creating an environment for voltage to build between the two cells. The transfer of ions establishes a current, which is helped along by the voltage in the system. Made from molybdenum disulfide, the membrane can be made easily in a lab or found in nature, making the system easy to produce. The researchers estimate that 1MW of electricity , or enough to power 50,000 LED lightbulbs, can be generated by just a 1m² membrane with 30 percent of its surface covered by nanopores, or membrane holes. These systems could be installed in estuaries, where freshwater meets the sea. And, since water flows even when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow, this renewable technology could generate energy around the clock. + EPFL Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology Via Phys.org Images via Steven Duensing

Comments Off on Dubai to build the world’s biggest concentrated solar power plant

Once again, Dubai is seeking to lead the way in the clean energy sector. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recently announced their intention to build a massive concentrated solar power plant that would generate a staggering 1,000 megawatts (MW). That would nearly double the current record holder for the largest concentrated solar plant, the Noor-Ouarzazate complex in Morocco, which will generate 500 MW by 2018. DEWA CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer announced the plant could be operational in 2030, the year the country hopes to obtain 25 percent of energy from clean sources. Private companies to be selected will build and operate the plant. The first stage, to be finished in 2021, will generate 200 MW. Related: Record-breaking solar prices in Dubai prove cheaper than coal According to Al Tayer, ” several thousand ” heliostats will reflect radiation to a tower. He said a huge advantage of concentrated solar power is the thermal heat generated can be easily stored, so the plant could continue to produce electricity at night. The project will employ thermal storage for ” eight to 12 hours daily .” Al Tayer said , “…we constantly work, led by the vision of our wise leadership who instructed us to prepare to bid farewell to the last drop of oil. This is based on a vision that recognizes the significance of renewable energy in achieving a balance between development and sustainability. DEWA continues building projects to achieve this vision and consolidate sustainability to ensure a brighter and happier future.” The plant could help the country achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. The strategy aims for energy from 75 percent renewable sources by 2050. As a step towards that goal, DEWA is working to provide energy from 61 percent natural gas, 25 percent solar power, 7 percent “clean coal,” and 7 percent nuclear power by 2030. Via Phys.org Images via Wikimedia Commons and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority Facebook

Comments Off on World’s First Supermarket Completely Powered by Food Waste Rises in the UK

Proving that there’s life beyond the dumpster for wasted food, a U.K. store just became the first in the country to be totally powered by leftovers. The Guardian reports that a Sainsbury’s store in the West Midlands of the U.K. is set to leave the national power grid in favor of food power created through the anaerobic digestion of food scraps – via a partnership with waste recycling company Biffa . Read the rest of World’s First Supermarket Completely Powered by Food Waste Rises in the UK Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: alternative , anaerobic , bio , digestion , food , gas , methane , renewable energy , Sainsbury’s , Waste

Comments Off on Richard Wool’s Non-Toxic Eco-Leather Protects Animals And The Planet

For those who love shoes, there’s a constant battle between brands that are high quality and brands that are ethical. Leather has long been the favorite material for making shoes since it’s durable, flexible, and beautiful. But it’s not very kind to the animals who have to lose their skin to make it. Not to mention that tanning leather is a toxic endeavor that creates polluted air and water. That’s why University of Delaware professor Richard Wool is working on a leather alternative made from natural fibers and oils. Companies like Puma and Nike are already considering it for new designs. Click the link to learn more. READ MORE> Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: cruelty-free leather , leather shoes , non-toxic leather , plant-based fashion , plant-based leather , Richard Wool , vegan leather , vegan shoes , vegan sneakers